New Bethany, a local nonprofit that provides nutritious food access, housing, and social services to under-resourced communities, was joined by government officials Rep. Steve Samuelson, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure and Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds to celebrate its Choice Food Pantry renovations with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, Oct. 14.
“The end of Covid-era protections for low-income families has led New Bethany to expand our services more than ever before,” said J. Marc Rittle, executive director of New Bethany. “Our Choice Food Pantry now features a 150% upgrade of usable space to store food and accommodate increased foot traffic. We polled our neighbors who use our services and learned they prefer a grocery shopping experience. Our renovated pantry features shopping carts, a produce display with mister, refrigerators and freezers with glass doors. The goal is to provide our guests with the ability to make their own food choices, including healthy options for the whole family.”
New Bethany embarked on the renovation campaign based on the feedback from a visitor survey conducted by the nonprofit in 2023. The survey revealed that the majority of visitors wanted an experience akin to shopping at a grocery store.
Renovations made to the food pantry include:
- Second floor reinforcement to hold 60,000 lbs., increasing food storage space.
- Designated space for volunteer activities.
- Cargo elevator installation.
- Enhancements were made for a more grocery store-style experience, including shopping carts, glass-front refrigerators, a produce-misting system and a bagging station.
- Removal of walls to improve guest flow.
The pantry renovation was made possible by donations from various community organizations and government programs:
